NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday beefed up security at all border points and made arrangements to maintain law and order across the city, including market places, in view of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions against the Centre's new agri laws, officials said.
Farmer leaders have said emergency services will be exempted, and appealed to their affiliates to not force anyone to join the shutdown.
Protesting farmers will block key roads and occupy toll plazas during their 'chakka jam' protest from 11 am to 3 pm.
"The security across the national capital, especially on bordering areas, has been beefed up," a senior police officer said.
He said there is maximum deployment of Delhi Police personnel in the city to ensure normal movement of people on the roads so that no one faces any kind of inconvenience.
Taking to Twitter, DCP (traffic western range) said, "Tikri, Jharoda Borders, Dhansa are closed for any Traffic Movement. Badusarai Border is open only for light motor vehicle like Cars and two wheelers. Jhatikara Border is open only for two wheeler traffic @dtptraffic."
In another tweet, the police said available open borders to Haryana are Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan, Palam Vihar and Dundahera.
On Monday, Bhartiya Kisan Ekta Sangathan president Jagjit singh Dallewala appealed to farmers to maintain peace and not to enter into any scuffle to enforce the bandh.
"The Modi government will have to accept our demands. We want nothing less than withdrawal of the new farm laws," farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said.
A section of auto and taxi unions on Tuesday joined the 'Bharat Bandh' called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre's agri laws and decided to keep their vehicles off the roads here.
Kamaljeet Gill, President of Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi, which represents drivers working with cab aggregators, claimed most of its members were on strike.
"There are around 4 lakh app based cabs in Delhi-NCR. Most of our members are on strike," he said.
President of Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association, Sanjay Samrat said drivers associated with several unions including Delhi State Taxi Cooperative Society and Kaumi Ekta Welfare Association were on strike.
However, other auto and taxi unions claimed that the strike will not have any impact on transport facilities in Delhi.
"All our autos and taxis are running normally and the strike has no impact at all. We support the farmers and their demands but strike causes problems only to ordinary people," said Rajender Soni, general secretary of the Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union.
The IGI airport taxi union president Kishanji also said services of black and yellow taxis were normal and it was not part of the strike.
Agitating farmer unions have threatened to block national highways and occupy toll plazas across the country during their 'chakka jam' protest from 11 am to 3 pm as part of their stir.
Protesters blocked three highways in rural Gujarat by placing burning tyres on roads on Tuesday morning as part of the Bharat Bandh called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre's agri laws, affecting vehicular traffic for some time.
A highway connecting Ahmedabad to Viramgam was blocked near Sanand by protesters from the Congress party who placed burning tyres on roads, causing a traffic jam.
Another group of protesters blocked a national highway in Vadodara.
In another incident, a highway connecting Bharuch and Dahej in Bharuch districtwas similarly blocked near Nandelav by protesters.
Police detained protesters in Ahmedabad and brought the situation under control, an official said.
The state government has imposed section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of more than four persons, in view of the Bharat Bandh.
Members of a farmers' organisation on Tuesday staged a 'rail roko' in Maharashtra's Buldhana district.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna members stopped the Chennai-Ahmedabad Navjeevan Express at Malkapur station in Buldhana district while protesting against the farm laws.
Police detained Sanghatana leader Ravikant Tupkar and his supporters over the incident, after removing them from the rail tracks, an official said.
Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Dhule, Pune and Solapur are closed during the bandh.
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses are plying as scheduled during the Bharat Bandh, a senior official of the state-run undertaking said.
The buses will continue to ply unless there are law and order problems due to the shutdown, he added.
The All India Motor Transport Congress, an apex body of trucker outfits, has joined the bandh and has suspended operations on Tuesday.
Transportation of essential commodities like milk, vegetables and fruits have been excluded from the bandh, said Daya Natkar, secretary of Maharashtra Rajya Truck Tempo Tankers Vahatuk Sangh.
Taxi union leader A L Quadros said taxis are plying in Mumbai as the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown had already hit the sector severely.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are supporting the bandh.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said people should participate in the "non-political" bandh to support farmers.
"People should willingly take part in the bandh. This will show true support to the farmers. This is not a political bandh though several parties have decided to take part in it," Raut said.
Congress, Left supporters block roads, railway tracks across Bengal
Supporters of the Congress and Left parties on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at several places, and held sit-ins on roads to enforce the nationwide shutdown, which evoked a mixed response in West Bengal.
The 'Bharat Bandh', called by agitating farmers' unions against the Centre's farm laws, partially affected the state with private vehicles remaining off the roads, while public transport, including buses and taxis, operating fewer than the usual.
In Kolkata, CPI(M) activists along with SFI and DYFI members blocked roads in Lake Town, College Street, Jadavpur and Shyambazar Five-Point Crossing.
Roads were also blocked by Left and Congress supporters at Madhyamgram Chowmatha in North 24 Parganas district, Panskura in Paschim Medinipur, Bali in Howrah district, Baharampur in Murshidabad, and Kharagpur as police tried to persuade them to allow vehicular movement.
They blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur and Madhyamgram in Eastern Railway's Sealdah section, and Rishra and Bardhaman in the Howrah section.
The Left and Congress supporters shouted slogans, denouncing the farm laws enacted by the Centre.
In Jadavpur, senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty led a rally from 8B Bus Stand along the SC Mallick Road.
The ruling Trinamool Congress has supported the shutdown though it has stayed away from enforcing it.
Certain parts of north Bengal, where the BJP has called a 12-hour shutdown over the death of its supporter during a rally on Monday, wore a deserted look.
BJP supporters picketed before the Coochbehar Bus Terminus and blocked roads at Jalpaiguri, Malda and Mathabhanga, among other places.